Low contact resistance bonding method for bipolar plates in a PEM fuel cell

ABSTRACT

A separator assembly for use in a stack of electrochemical cells is provided, having a first conductive metallic substrate with a first surface and a second conductive metallic substrate with a second surface, wherein each of the first and second surfaces are overlaid with an ultra-thin electrically conductive metal coating. The first and second surfaces form electrically conductive paths at regions where the metal coating of the first and second layer contact one another. The contact of the surfaces overlaid with metal coating is sufficient to join the first and second substrates to one another. Preferred metal coatings comprise gold (Au). Methods of making such separator assemblies are also provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/703,299 filed on Nov. 7, 2003, the disclosure of which application isincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to fuel cells, and more particularly to anelectrically conductive separator assembly and the manufacture thereof,for such fuel cells.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Fuel cells have been proposed as a power source for electric vehiclesand other applications. One known fuel cell is the PEM (i.e., ProtonExchange Membrane) fuel cell that includes a so-called“membrane-electrode-assembly” comprising a thin, solid polymermembrane-electrolyte having an anode on one face of themembrane-electrolyte and a cathode on the opposite face of themembrane-electrolyte. The anode and cathode typically comprise finelydivided carbon particles, having very finely divided catalytic particlessupported on the internal and external surfaces of the carbon particles,and proton conductive material intermingled with the catalytic andcarbon particles.

The membrane-electrode-assembly is sandwiched between a pair ofelectrically conductive contact elements which serve as currentcollectors for the anode and cathode, and may contain appropriatechannels and openings therein for distributing the fuel cell's gaseousreactants (i.e., H₂ & O₂/air) over the surfaces of the respective anodeand cathode.

Bipolar PEM fuel cells comprise a plurality of themembrane-electrode-assemblies stacked together in electrical serieswhile being separated one from the next by an impermeable, electricallyconductive contact element known as a bipolar or separator plate orseptum. The separator or bipolar plate has two working faces, oneconfronting the anode of one cell and the other confronting the cathodeon the next adjacent cell in the stack, and each bipolar plateelectrically conducts current between the adjacent cells. Contactelements at the ends of the stack are referred to as end, terminal, orcollector plates. These terminal collectors contact a conductive elementsandwiched between the terminal bipolar plate and the terminal collectorplate. The conductive elements serve as an electrically conductiveseparator element between two adjacent cells, and typically havereactant gas flow fields on both external faces thereof, conductelectrical current between the anode of one cell and the cathode of thenext adjacent cell in the stack, and have internal passages thereinthrough which coolant flows to remove heat from the stack.

The PEM fuel cell environment is highly corrosive, and accordingly, thebipolar plates and the materials used to assemble them must be bothcorrosion resistant and electrically conductive. Bipolar plates aregenerally fabricated from two separate conductive sheets, and may beconstructed of electrically conductive metal or composite materials.These individual plates are joined together at least one joint, where aninterior is formed between the plates which contains cooling passages.The plates must withstand the harsh conditions of the fuel cell, whileproviding high electrical conductivity, low weight to improvegravimetric efficiency, and durability for long-term operationalefficiency. There remains the challenge to optimize the bonding ofelectrically conductive elements comprising independent components in afuel cell to promote efficiency as cost-effectively as possible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a separator assembly for use in a stackof electrochemical cells, comprising a first conductive metallicsubstrate having a first surface and a second conductive metallicsubstrate having a second surface; each of the first and the secondsurfaces having an electrically conductive central region and anon-conductive peripheral region. An ultra-thin electrically conductivemetal coating overlies one or more areas of the electrically conductiveregions of the respective first and the second surfaces. Electricallyconductive paths are formed by physical contact between the coated areasof the respective first and the second surfaces. A seal isolates eachcentral electrically conductive region from each peripheralnon-conductive region.

Alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention include amethod for manufacturing a separator assembly for a fuel cell,comprising providing a first and a second electrically conductive metalsubstrate, the metal substrate susceptible to formation of metal oxidesin the presence of oxygen. Any metal oxides are removed from a first anda second surface of the first and the second substrates, respectively.An ultra-thin electrically conductive metal coating is deposited onselect regions of the first and the second metal surfaces. The selectregions of the first and the second surfaces are positioned to confrontone another and the select regions of the first and the second surfacesare contacted at one or more contact regions, where the contact regionsform an electrically conductive path between the first and the secondsubstrates.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description and specific examples, whileindicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic, exploded illustration of a PEM fuel cell stack(only two cells shown);

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an exemplary electrically conductive fluiddistribution element useful with PEM fuel cell stacks;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view in the direction of 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a magnified portion of the bipolar plate of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a magnified portion of an alternate embodiment of a bipolarplate having a separator sheet disposed within the coolant passage; and

FIG. 6 is an illustration of an ion-beam assisted physical vapordeposition apparatus used to coat the bipolar plates with theelectrically conductive material;

FIG. 7 is cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiments is merelyexemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention,its application, or uses.

The present invention relates to a simplified separator assembly for afuel cell system comprising a first and a second substrate overlaid withan ultra-thin electrically conductive metal coating along electricallyconductive regions of the surfaces of each substrate. When the first andsecond substrates, overlaid with the metal coating, are contacted withone another, the metal coating facilitates joining of the first andsecond substrates together, without need for additional mechanicaljoining or adhesion to one another, as was previously required. To gaina better understanding of the areas in which the present invention isuseful, description of an exemplary fuel cell is provided below.

FIG. 1 depicts a two cell, bipolar fuel cell stack 2 having a pair ofmembrane-electrode-assemblies (MEAs) 4 and 6 separated from each otherby an electrically conductive fluid distribution element 8, hereinafterbipolar plate 8. The MEAs 4 and 6 and bipolar plate 8, are stackedtogether between stainless steel clamping plates, or end plates 10 and12, and end contact elements 14 and 16. The end contact elements 14 and16, as well as both working faces of the bipolar plate 8, contain aplurality of grooves or channels 18, 20, 22, and 24, respectively, fordistributing fuel and oxidant gases (i.e. H₂ and O₂) to the MEAs 4 and6. Nonconductive gaskets 26, 28, 30, and 32 provide seals and electricalinsulation between the several components of the fuel cell stack. Gaspermeable conductive materials are typically carbon/graphite diffusionpapers 34, 36, 38, and 40 that press up against the electrode faces ofthe MEAs 4 and 6. The end contact elements 14 and 16 press up againstthe carbon/graphite papers 34 and 40 respectively, while the bipolarplate 8 presses up against the carbon/graphite paper 36 on the anodeface of MEA 4, and against carbon/graphite paper 38 on the cathode faceof MEA 6.

Oxygen is supplied to the cathode side of the fuel cell stack fromstorage tank 46 via appropriate supply plumbing 42, while hydrogen issupplied to the anode side of the fuel cell from storage tank 48, viaappropriate supply plumbing 44. Alternatively, ambient air may besupplied to the cathode side as an oxygen source and hydrogen to theanode from a methanol or gasoline reformer, or the like. Exhaustplumbing (not shown) for both the H₂ and O₂ sides of the MEAs 4 and 6will also be provided. Additional plumbing 50, 52, and 54 is providedfor supplying liquid coolant to the bipolar plate 8 and end plates 14and 16. Appropriate plumbing for exhausting coolant from the bipolarplate 8 and end plates 14 and 16 is also provided, but not shown.

The present invention relates to conductive separator element assembliesin a fuel cell, such as the liquid-cooled, bipolar plate 56 shown inFIG. 2, which separates adjacent cells of a PEM fuel cell stack;conducts electric current between adjacent cells of the stack; and coolsthe stack. The bipolar plate 56 comprises a first exterior metal sheet58 and a second exterior metal sheet 60. The sheets 58,60 may be formedfrom a metal, a metal alloy, or a composite material, and are preferablyelectrically conductive. The applicability of the present invention isdirected to separator elements comprised of metals or metal alloys thatare susceptible to passivation, or attack by oxidation wherein a layerof metal oxides is formed on surfaces exposed to oxygen. Suitable metalsand metal alloys preferably have sufficient durability and rigidity tofunction as sheets in a conductive element within a fuel cell.Additional design properties for consideration in selecting a materialfor the separator element body include gas permeability, conductivity,density, thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, pattern definition,thermal and pattern stability, machinability, cost and availability.Available metals and alloys include titanium, aluminum, stainless steel,nickel based alloys, and combinations thereof.

The exterior metal sheets 58,60 are made as thin as possible (e.g.,about 0.002-0.02 inches or 0.05-0.5 mm thick). The sheets 58,60 may beformed by any method known in the art, including machining, molding,cutting, carving, stamping, photo etching such as through aphotolithographic mask, or any other suitable design and manufacturingprocess. It is contemplated that the sheets 58,60 may comprise a dualstructure including a flat sheet and an additional sheet including aseries of exterior fluid flow channels. Thus, according to the presentinvention sheets may be pre-formed by the above described methods andsubsequently have an ultra-thin coating applied, or may have anultra-thin coating applied and then formed (e.g. by stamping).

The external sheet 58 has a first working surface 59 on the outsidethereof which confronts an anode of a membrane-electrode-assembly (notshown) and is formed so as to provide a plurality of lands 64 whichdefine therebetween a plurality of grooves 66 known as a “flow field”through which the fuel cell's reactant gases (i.e., H₂ or O₂) flow in atortuous path from one side 68 of the bipolar plate to the other side 70thereof. When the fuel cell is fully assembled, the lands 64 pressagainst the carbon/graphite papers (such as 36 or 38 in FIG. 1) which,in turn, press against the MEAs (such as 4 or 6 in FIG. 1,respectively). For drafting simplicity, FIG. 2 depicts only two arraysof lands 64 and grooves 66. In reality, the lands and grooves 64,66 willcover the entire external surfaces of the metal sheets 58, 60 thatengage the carbon/graphite papers. The reactant gas is supplied togrooves 66 from a header or manifold groove 72 that lies along one side68 of the fuel cell, and exits the grooves 66 via anotherheader/manifold groove 74 that lies adjacent the opposite side 70 of thefuel cell. Each sheet 58,60 has an outer peripheral region 77,79respectively, which is typically electrically non-conductive because itis external to the region occupied by the electrically active MEA.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the underside of the sheet 58 includes aplurality of ridges 76 which define therebetween a plurality of channels78 through which coolant passes during the operation of the fuel cell.As shown in FIG. 3, a coolant channel 78 underlies each land 64 while areactant gas groove 66 underlies each ridge 76. Alternatively, the sheet58 could be flat and the flow field formed in a separate sheet ofmaterial. Sheet 60 is similar to sheet 58. In this regard, there isdepicted a plurality of ridges 80 defining therebetween a plurality ofchannels 93 through which coolant flows from one side 69 of the bipolarplate to the other 71 (as shown in FIG. 2). The heat exchange (coolantside) surfaces 90,92 of the first and second sheets 58,60 confront eachother so as to define therebetween the coolant flow passages 93 adaptedto receive a liquid coolant, and are electrically coupled to each otherat a plurality of joints, or contact regions 100. Electricallyconductive paths are formed by physical contact through the contactregions 100. Like sheet 58 and as best shown in FIG. 3, the externalside of the sheet 60 has a working surface 63 facing a cathode ofanother MEA having a plurality of lands 84 thereon defining a pluralityof grooves 86 through which the reactant gases pass.

Coolant flows between the channels 93 formed by sheets 58,60respectively, thereby breaking laminar boundary layers and affordingturbulence which enhances heat exchange with inside surfaces 90, 92 ofthe exterior sheets 58, 60 respectively. As recognized by one of skillin the art, the current collector separator assemblies of the presentinvention may vary in design from those described above, such as forexample, in the configuration of flow fields, placement and number offluid delivery manifolds, and the coolant circulation system, however,the function of conductance of electrical current through the surfaceand body of the separator plate elements functions similarly between alldesigns.

FIG. 4 is a magnified view of a portion of FIG. 3 and shows the ridges76 on the first sheet 58 and the ridges 80 on the second sheet 60 arecoupled to one another at their respective surfaces 90,92 in the contactregion 100 to ensure the structural integrity of the separator elementassembly 56. The first metal substrate sheet 58 is joined at the contactregion 100 directly (i.e., without an intermediate spacer sheet) to thesecond substrate metal sheet 60 via a plurality of discrete contactregions 100. The contact region 100 provides an electrically conductivepath that is required for the bipolar plate separator element assemblyto function as a current collector. The contact region 100 is oftenreferred to by those skilled in the art as the “bond” or “bond line”.

In circumstances where the electrical resistance across the contactregions 100 is too high, a significant amount of heat is generated atthe contact regions 100, which is transferred to the coolant. It isbelieved that the conventional way of joining the two metal sheets 58,60to one another in a separator assembly, typically by welding or brazing,creates “stitches” (as they are known in the art) which are relativelydiscrete discontinuous regions where the physical and electrical contactis established between the sheets. When electric current is restrictedto conduction through the stitches, an uneven current distributionoccurs, which causes high resistance and heat in those regions. The heatbuild-up further contributes to coolant heating, and also potentially topinholes or ruptures through the membrane in the corresponding regions,due to excessive localized heating. In one aspect of the presentinvention, it is preferred that the electrical current is evenlydistributed entirely across contact regions 100 and that a sustainableelectrical resistance across the conductive path is low enough that itdoes not cause overheating of the coolant or pinholes in the membrane.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the first substratesheet 58 is overlaid with a first electrically conductive oxidation andcorrosion resistant metal coating 110 deposited along surface 90 in theelectrically active region which corresponds to the area occupied by theMEA (such as 4 or 6 in FIG. 1, respectively). The second substrate sheet60 is also overlaid with a second electrically conductive oxidation andcorrosion resistant metal coating 112 along surface 92, which likewisecorresponds to the electrically active region. The coated first andsecond substrate sheets 58,60 will confront one another at the contactregions 100 which correspond to the areas where the lands 76,80 contactone another. Optionally, the external faces 59 and 63 of sheets 58 and60 may also be covered with the same metal coating, as shown here, ormay alternately remain uncoated (not shown).

The present invention is also applicable to any electrically conductiveelements that are joined to one another within the fuel cell. While thefirst and second sheets 58,60 may be joined directly to each other inaccordance with the present invention as shown in FIG. 4, in a bi-polarplate assembly 56, the first and second sheets 58,60 may alternativelybe attached to a discrete intermediate, separator conductive sheet 101(FIG. 5) that may partition the coolant flow passage 93 a. Theintermediate separator sheet 101 may be perforated so as to permitcoolant to move between the smaller coolant flow passages 93 a. In suchan embodiment, the separator sheet 101 will be treated in accordancewith the present invention by applying a metal coating 103 to bothcontact surfaces 105 of the separator sheet 101 that will contact themetal coatings 110,112 of the first and second conductive sheets 58,60.In one alternate preferred embodiment, the separator sheet 101 may becorrugated to provide a plurality of coolant channels in the coolantflow passage (not shown), or as shown in FIG. 5, may be a flat sheetjoined to the first and second outer sheets 58,60 which each have aplurality of coolant flow channels 107 formed therein, as for example bycorrugating the outer sheets.

According to the present invention, the metal coating e.g. 103, 110,112is “ultra-thin”, meaning that the thickness of the metal coating is lessthan 100 nm. A preferred aspect of the metal coating 103 of the presentinvention is that it has a relatively uniform distributed layer of metalalong the substrate sheet 101. A preferred thickness is less than 15 nm,and a most preferred thickness is between about 2 nm to about 10 nm.Such a thickness corresponds to a thickness of less than or equal to thedepth of about two atomic monolayers of metal atoms. Fuel cells arepreferably operated under compression, and thus during operationpressure is applied to the entire stack, including its severalcomponents.

With renewed reference to FIG. 4, the contact established between thefirst metal coating 110 of the first sheet 58 and the second metalcoating 112 of the second sheet 60 creates a sustainable bond whichprovides joining of the lands 76,80 in a sustained manner such that noadditional bonding or physical attachment is needed. Further, thecontact region 100 created by the metal coating 110,112 contact provideseven current distribution, enhanced long-term durability, and asustainedly low contact resistance beyond 500 hours of operation.Thinner coatings 110, 112 in accordance with the present inventionoccupy less volume in fluid flow channels (e.g. coolant channels) andthus provide larger flow paths and decreased pressure drop in comparisonwith brazing. Additionally, other previous methods of adhering platesintroduce a third material, which may degrade or impinge on flowchannels, increasing the resistance to flow and pressure drop. Thepresent invention eliminates the need for the third component entirely,thus eliminating any potential obstruction of fluid flow paths.

According to the present invention, it is preferred that the contactresistance is less than 20 mOhm-cm² measured with a compressive stressof at least 50 psi (350 kPa) pressure applied, and more preferably lessthan 15 mOhm-cm², and most preferably between about 7 to about 8mOhm-cm², as measured across conductive diffusion paper and through theentire separator assembly. Further, as part of the present invention, itis preferred that all metal oxides are removed from the surfaces 90,92of metal sheets 58,60 along the regions where the metal coating 110,112is to be applied, and especially in the contact regions 100 to create aslow resistance electrical connection as is possible between the sheets58,60 through the joined metal coatings 110,112.

Preferred ultra-thin electrically conductive oxidation and corrosionresistant metal coatings 110,112 according to the present inventioncomprise noble metals, such as silver (Ag), titanium (Ti), and platinum(Pt). A most preferred metal coating for the present invention comprisesgold (Au). It should be noted that the first and second metal coatings110,112 may be the same composition, or may have different compositions,and further may be mixtures of metals. In preferred embodiments, thefirst and second coatings 110,112 are of the same composition. Onepreferred method of depositing the metal coatings 110,112 onto theelectrically active regions of the surfaces 90,92 will now be describedwith reference to FIG. 6. In order to deposit the conductive coating110,112 onto the substrate, an ion-assisted, physical vapor deposition(PVD) method is employed.

As can be seen in FIG. 6, an ion-assisted PVD apparatus 136 is used. Theapparatus 136 includes a deposition chamber 138 and two electron guns, Aand B, for deposition of metal coating 110,112. The apparatus 136 alsoincludes a low energy ion gun which is used for sputter cleaning of thesubstrates, and a turbo pump which allows the apparatus to operated inan ultra-high vacuum. The substrate to be coated with the conductivecoating 110,112 is first placed in a “load-lock” chamber 137 where thepressure is between about 1×10⁻⁵ to 1×10⁻⁶ Torr (1×10⁻³ Pa to 1×10⁴ Pa).The substrate to be coated by the metal coating 110,112 is thentransferred in the deposition chamber 138.

Once the substrate is placed into the deposition chamber 138, thepressure is lowered to about 1×10⁻⁹ Torr (1×10⁻⁷ Pa). A first crucible140 in the chamber holds the noble metal to be deposited. If acombination of metals or noble metals is to be deposited, a second metalis held by a second crucible 142. For example, a crucible 140 containingtitanium to be deposited as a first layer and crucible 142 containinggold to be deposited over the titanium as a second layer is not out ofthe scope of the present invention. Another option available may be todeposit a combination of metals simultaneously.

The ion gun is used to sputter clean the substrate. As the ion gunsputter cleans the substrate, a beam of electrons is used to melt andevaporate the noble metals. Such a process may also be known as electronbeam evaporation. The target metals are then deposited on the substrateat a rate of 0.10 nm/s to a thickness of less than 100 nm, which isobserved by thickness monitors.

A unique aspect of the ion-assisted PVD method is that the substrate issputter cleaned and the conductive coating is deposited essentiallysimultaneously. By sputter cleaning and coating the substratesimultaneously, the conductive metal coating 110,112 may be depositedonto the substrate at ultra-low thicknesses of less than 100 nm,preferably less 15 nm, and most preferably between 2 nm to about 10 nm.When the metal coating 110,112 has a thickness of 2-15 nm, theconductive coating preferably has an estimated loading of 0.004-0.03mg/cm².

The present application process is preferred over certain processes thatsequentially clean and deposit. When the substrate used is a metalsubstrate such as titanium or stainless steel, an oxide film forms inthe time between where the cleaning occurs to where physical vapordeposition deposits the metal onto the substrate when there is exposureto oxygen. By simultaneously cleaning the substrate and depositing thenoble metal, the oxide layer is completely and continuously removed thuspreventing or at least significantly reducing oxide formation or otherfouling of the surface. Simultaneously cleaning the substrate anddepositing the noble metal can be accomplished due to the fact that theion energies required to remove the oxide layer are low. Since the ionenergies are low, the bombarding ion fluxes are generally smaller thanthe depositing atom fluxes that are emitted by the electron guns A andB. This is because oxides being removed are lighter than the metal beingdeposited onto the substrate as conductive coating 110,112. As such, thelow energy ion gun removes only the oxide layer and not the conductivemetal coating 110,112. The result is that the metal coating 110,112 isdeposited having excellent adhesion to the substrate. Further it ispossible to coat only a very thin layer, on the order of about 2 toabout 15 nm, which equates to greater than or equal to two atomicmonolayers of metal atoms, thereby achieving good surface coverage andrelatively uniform coverage. Thus, the use of ion-assisted, PVD allowsthe noble metal to be deposited on the substrate very smoothly, evenly,and in a thin layer.

It should be understood that an important feature of the invention isthe deposition of a metal coating 110,112 on an essentially cleansurface 90,92. In a preferred aspect of the present process, the ion gunsurface cleaning of the substrate is commenced just before the metaldeposition is initiated. Then, the cleaning and metal deposition proceedsimultaneously to completion of the deposition process. However, othermethods of removing the oxide layer include a variety of suitableprocesses which may be conducted prior to coating, such as cathodicelectrolytic cleaning, mechanical abrasion, cleaning the substrate withalkaline cleaners, and etching with acidic solvents or pickle liquors.

As stated above, by depositing the metal coating 110,112 onto a cleansurface, the coating's adhesion is greatly improved, and thus resistsdelamination from the substrate. For example, when a coating issubjected to cycles of an applied cathodic current ranging from 10mA/cm²-50 mA/cm² in a solution of 0.5 M H₂SO₄, hydrogen gas (H₂) isevolved which causes prior art coatings to delaminate or peel, from thesubstrate. However, when the coating is deposited by the ion-assisted,PVD method of the present invention, the coating's excellent adhesion tothe clean surface of the substrate resists the delamination from thesubstrate caused by the evolved H₂ when the cathodic current is applied.

Another preferred PVD method that is also suitable for the presentinvention, includes magnetron sputtering, where a metal target (themetal coating 130 compound) is bombarded with a sputter gun in an argonion atmosphere and the substrate is charged. The sputter gun forms aplasma of metal particles and argon ions that transfer by momentum tocoat the substrate. The use of ion-assisted PVD as previously describedmay provide better control of plasma than in other methods ofapplication, because, for example, in sputtering the direction of theplasma may be harder to regulate and ion-assisted PVD provides bettercontrol of the deposition parameters due to the fact that the ion beamshave low energy and are well collimated, with divergence angles of onlya few degrees. However, various factors may promote the use of oneapplication method over another, including overall processing time andcost.

Other preferred methods of applying the metal coating 110,112 accordingto the present invention include electron beam evaporation, where thesubstrate is contained in a vacuum chamber (from between about 1×10⁻³ to1×10⁻⁴ Torr (1×10⁻⁴ Pa to 1×10⁻² Pa)) and a metal evaporant is heated bya charged electron beam, where it evaporates and then condenses on thetarget substrate. The metal coatings 110,112 may also be applied byelectroplating (e.g. electrolytic deposition), electroless plating, orpulse laser deposition.

In a first experiment, the ion-assisted, PVD method of the presentinvention was employed to prepare two samples. The ion gun that was usedwas set at 100 eV Ar⁺ beam with a current density of 1 mA/cm² for twominutes. The evaporation source material was 99.99% pure gold fromJohnson-Matthey. The 316L stainless steel substrates used were 1″×1″coupons that were first cleaned in an ultrasonic bath of acetone, thenmethanol for 15 minutes each. The stainless steel substrates were thenloaded into the deposition chamber of the ion-assisted PVD apparatus andheld there until the pressure was less than 2×10⁻⁷ Torr (3×10⁻⁵ Pa). Thebase pressure of the deposition chamber was typically in the mid 1×10⁻⁹Torr (1×10⁻⁷ Pa) range and always lower than 1×10⁻⁸ Torr (1×10⁻⁶ kPa).As the ion gun cleaned the stainless steel substrate, a gold coating wasdeposited with the single electron beam evaporation source at a rate of0.10 nm/s at a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius.The gold coatings showed excellent adhesion, even after being placed ina corrosion test solution that simulates fuel cell conditions (e.g.pH=3.0, 10 ppm HF) for almost 100 hours at approximately 80° C.

In a second experiment, the metal coating 110,112 was applied to thesurface of two samples by a Teer magnetron sputter system. The 316Lstainless steel substrates were provided as a 1″×1″ coupons that werefirst sputter cleaned at 400 V. The evaporation source material was99.99% pure gold from Johnson-Matthey, and was applied in a closed fieldunbalanced magnetic field at 50 V bias using 0.2 A for a duration of oneminute to achieve a thickness of approximately 10 nm.

Contact resistance measurements were taken by contacting the coatedsurfaces of both of the samples from the first and the secondexperiments, respectively. The samples were compressed together betweentwo diffusion media papers (i.e. Toray graphite diffusion mediacommercially available as Toray 060) and a pressure from between 50 to200 psi (350 to 1400 kPa) was applied while 1 A/cm² current density wasapplied. Contact resistance measurements were obtained from the voltagedrop between the diffusion media sandwiching the two metal couponsacross the coating. At an applied pressure of 50 psi (350 kPa) the firstexperiment assembly had a maximum contact resistance value of 18mOhm-cm² and a minimum contact resistance value of 10 mOhm-cm² at anapplied pressure of 200 psi (1400 kPa). The assembly from the secondexperiment resulted in a maximum contact resistance of 19 mOhm-cm² at anapplied pressure of 50 psi (350 kPa) and a minimum contact resistancevalue of 9.2 mOhm-cm² when 200 psi (1400 kPa) is applied.

Samples from the first and second experiments were also tested forcorrosion current values. Stainless steel substrates coated with 10 nmAu from the both the first and second experiments enabled low corrosioncurrents while cycling the potential between +0.4 and +0.6 V (vs.Ag/AgCl) in aerated solution at 80 degrees Celsius, thereby simulating abipolar plate environment in a fuel cell (pH=3.0, 10 ppm HF, and 0.5MNa₂SO₄ as the supporting electrolyte). Potentiostatic corrosionexperiments were conducted over 100 hours at both an applied potentialof +0.6 V (Ag/AgCl, in air) and at −0.4V (Ag/AgCl, in hydrogen) in anaerated simulated fuel cell solution operated at 80 degrees Celsius. Themeasured current conditions were below 1 microamp/cm² for both the firstand second samples, indicating good stability of the coating.

Stainless steel bipolar plates assembled according to the presentinvention and having an active area of 250 cm² were coated at differentthicknesses to compare electrical performance of the gold metalcoatings. The results of this testing are shown below in Table 1.

The first set of plates were coated by PVD at a thickness of about 10nm, according to the present invention. The second set of plates werecoated by PVD at a thickness of about 100 nm. The third set of plateswere electroplated and had a thickness ranging from about 212-260 nm. Acurrent of 200 amps was applied at a current density of 0.8 A/cm² forall samples of plates tested, and all bipolar plate assemblies weretested under a compression pressure of 180 psi. Measurements were takenfrom 1) a top (i.e. anode side) diffusion paper (designated as “Pt”) toan anode plate, 2) a bottom (i.e. cathode side) diffusion paper(designated as “Pb”) to a cathode plate, and 3) a top diffusion paper tobottom diffusion paper through the anode and cathode plates. Aninterface resistance was calculated by subtracting the respective anodeand cathode side measurements from the total paper to paper measurementsfrom top to bottom. As can be observed, the samples prepared inaccordance with the present invention (set 1) demonstrate equally lowresistance to any of the thicker coatings (sets 2 and 3) and have anegligible interface resistance in comparison to other parts of the fuelcell assembly.

TABLE I 1 2 3 Interface Anode Cathode Gold P_(t)/Anode P_(b)/CathodeP_(t)/P_(b), Resistance Plate Plate Thickness Coating (mOhm- (mOhm-(mOhm- (mOhm- Number Number (nm) Process cm²) cm²) cm²) cm²) Set 107-1336 10-1336 10 PVD 3.90 4.30 9.30 1.10 07-1332 10-1332 10 PVD 3.804.50 9.40 1.10 07-1337 10-1333 10 PVD 3.80 4.60 9.60 1.30 07-133810-1323 10 PVD 4.30 4.80 11.00 2.00 07-1335 10-1335 10 PVD 6.00 4.3011.80 1.50 Set 2 07-1353 10-1322 100 PVD 4.00 4.50 9.40 0.90 07-133310-1320 100 PVD 3.50 4.30 9.10 1.40 07-1344 10-1328 100 PVD 4.40 4.6010.80 1.80 07-1343 10-1326 100 PVD 3.10 4.50 9.10 1.50 07-1345 10-1329100 PVD 3.90 4.50 10.00 1.60 Set 3 06-0503 06-0511 260 Electrodeposition4.10 4.50 10.60 2.00 06-0504 08-0480 245 Electrodeposition 4.60 4.409.90 0.90 06-0502 08-0483 212 Electrodeposition 3.60 4.90 9.80 1.3006-0505 08-0518 260 Electrodeposition 5.40 4.50 11.80 1.90 06-047908-0482 239 Electrodeposition 4.40 4.50 10.50 1.60

With renewed reference to FIG. 2, preferred embodiments of the presentinvention also incorporate a perimeter seal 200 that prevents reactantgases from entering the coolant flow channels (FIGS. 3 and 4 number 93)or exiting the flow channels and flowing into the stack. The seal 200 ispreferably formed between contacting inner surfaces 90,92 of the coolantside of the bipolar plate 56. It is preferred that the seal 200 isfluid-tight and is formed by the contact between surfaces 90,92 at theouter perimeter 79 of the electrically active region on inner surfaces90,92, and prevents, or at least impedes, fluid and gas transporttherethrough. The seal 200 circumscribes the coolant flow field to forma barrier to the reactant gases used in the fuel cell stack, andpreferably prevents coolant from flowing back into the reactant gases.

The seal 200 is preferably formed as a bead of either an electricallyconductive or an electrically non-conductive adhesive. As best seen inFIG. 7, the seal 200 may further serve to fill any gaps between thesheets 58,60 resulting from manufacturing irregularities. A bead ofadhesive can be applied to either one surface of a plate (i.e. either to90 or 92) of the bipolar separator assembly plates or to both of thesurfaces 90,92 of both plates 58,60. A gasket can also be used as theseal 200 in place of the sealant. As shown peripheral gaskets 202 arealso used to seal the outer perimeters 77,79 of the bipolar plateassembly 56.

Preferred sealants for the present invention include thermoset andthermoplastic adhesives or pressure sensitive adhesive tapes. In thecase of adhesives, the thermoset or thermoplastic polymer adhesives maybe molded into preforms that are placed between the first and secondsheets 58,60. The sheets 58, 60 are then contacted to one another andheat is applied to create a structural bond. The amount and duration ofheating is dependent on the characteristics of the adhesives selected,as recognized by one of skill in the art. Non-limiting examples of suchthermoset adhesives include epoxides, phenolics,polymethylmethacrylates, polyurethanes, silicones, polysulfides, butyl,fluoroelastomers, and fluorosilicones. Further examples of suitablethermoplastic adhesives include, for example, polyamides, polyesters,polyolefins, polyvinyl acetates, and polyurethanes. In alternatepreferred embodiments of the present invention, the seal 200 may beformed by joining plates 58,60 by metallurgical methods, such as remotescanning laser welding or by mechanical crimping. It should also benoted in FIG. 7, that the electrically active regions of surfaces 90 and92 are overlaid with ultra-thin metal coatings 110,112 on the first andsecond sheets 58,60 respectively, which establish electrical andphysical contact therebetween at contact regions 100.

In one alternate preferred embodiment of the present invention, only theelectrically conductive regions of the surfaces 90,92 are coated, andthe electrically non-conductive regions are uncoated. In certainpreferred embodiments, the entire electrically active regioncorresponding to the MEA where the flow field is formed is coated with ametal coating, and the peripheral regions 79 (referring to FIG. 2)remain uncoated. In other preferred alternate embodiments, the coating110,112 may only cover the lands 76,80 and not the grooves 82,86 ofsheets 58,60, respectively. In this circumstance, only adjacentelectrically conductive surfaces in electrical contact with one anotherat the contact regions 100 are coated with the metal coating 110,112. Insuch an embodiment, the electrically non-conductive regions of surfaces90,92 are covered or masked while the coating is applied. A mask is anymaterial that is applied to a substrate and remains stable duringcoating application, and may include, by way of example, stainlesssteel, titanium, or ceramic masks. Other suitable mask materialsinclude: organic coatings, rubber masks, or tape, for use in lowertemperature application processes, such as electrolytic or electrolessdeposition. Often, mask materials are selected to permit recovery andrecycling of the metals deposited over the mask during the depositionprocess, and are well known in the art.

One preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method formanufacturing a separator assembly for a fuel cell, by providing thefirst and a second electrically conductive metal substrate sheets, wherethe first and second sheets are made of a metal susceptible to formationof metal oxides in the presence of oxygen. The metal oxides are removedfrom the surfaces of the first and second substrates, respectively. Anultra-thin electrically conductive metal coating is deposited on selectregions of the first and second metal surfaces. Select regions of thefirst and second surfaces are positioned to confront one another andthen contacted to form an electrically conductive path between the firstand second substrates.

The description of the above embodiments and method is merely exemplaryin nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of theinvention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Suchvariations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit andscope of the invention.

1. A method for manufacturing a separator assembly for a fuel cell,comprising: providing a first and a second electrically conductive metalsubstrate, said metal substrate susceptible to formation of metal oxidesin the presence of oxygen; removing any of said metal oxides from afirst and a second surface of said first and said second substrates,respectively; depositing an ultra-thin electrically conductive metalcoating on select regions of said first and said second metal surfaces;positioning said select regions of said first and said second surfacesto confront one another; and contacting said select regions of saidfirst and said second surfaces at one or more contact regions, whereinsaid contact regions form an electrically conductive path between saidfirst and said second substrates.
 2. The method according to claim 1,wherein prior to said contacting sealing is conducted to provide fluidisolation between an internal and an external sealed region formedbetween said first and said second substrates.
 3. The method accordingto claim 2, wherein said internal sealed region corresponds to saidselect regions, and non-select regions correspond to said externalsealed region.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said removingand said depositing are conducted essentially simultaneously by ion beamsputtering and electron beam evaporation deposition, respectively. 5.The method according to claim 1, wherein said select regions correspondto electrically conductive areas and non-select regions along saidsurface are electrically non-conductive.
 6. The method according toclaim 1, wherein each of said first and said second surfaces have a flowfield formed therein, said flow field being defined by landsinterspersed with grooves that form flow channels, wherein said lands ofsaid first and said second substrates contact one another to form saidcontact regions and correspond to said select regions, and saiddepositing of said electrically conductive metal coating onto saidselect regions is preceded by masking of any non-select regions that areelectrically non-conductive.
 7. The method according to claim 1, whereinsaid electrically conductive region is centrally located on both saidfirst and said second surfaces of said first and second substrates,respectively, and said electrically non-conductive region circumscribessaid centrally located electrically conductive region.
 8. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein said depositing is conducted by a processselected from the group consisting of: electron bean evaporation,magnetron sputtering, physical vapor deposition, electrolyticdeposition, and electroless deposition.
 9. The method according to claim1, wherein said removing is conducted by electrolytic cleaning, etching,pickling, mechanical abrasion, and sputtering.
 10. The method accordingto claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive metal coating isdeposited at a thickness of less than about 15 nm.
 11. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive metal coatingis deposited at a thickness of between about 2 to about 10 nm.
 12. Themethod according to claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive metalcoating is deposited at a thickness of less than or equal to the depthof two atomic monolayers of metal atoms.
 13. The method according toclaim 1, wherein said electrically conductive metal coating comprisesgold.
 14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said contacting isaccomplished by applying a compressive stress.
 15. The method accordingto claim 1, wherein an electrical contact resistance across said firstsubstrate to said second substrate through said contact region is lessthan 10 mOhm-cm² when a compressive stress of 1400 kPa or greater isapplied.
 16. The method according to claim 1, wherein said contacting isaccomplished by applying a compressive stress of 1400 kPa or greater.